National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Ngangtse-tso and Marchar-tso, and parallel to the one mentioned before, unless it
is not simply a ramification from the same. Its form is irregular and we have to
cross it in two passes. The road up to the first pass follows the valley of the Buser-
tsangpo, where Camp 111, Nama-chang, has a height of 5 055 m. Conglomerate
of quartz-porphyry is found at Chak-yola. The valley is broad and surrounded by
low hills. Springs are numerous, sometimes, as at Tsari, forming open basins.

A very flat threshold separates the Buser-tsangpo from the Titak valley, which
goes down E.N.E. to lake Marchar-tso; this valley is winding and comparatively deep
cut; its bottom is full of ice from springs, and such is also the case with the bottoms of
all its tributaries. The Titak is separated from a brook to Ngangtse-tso by Pongchen-
la, which has a height of 5 371 m, only 135 m less than the principal water-parting
pass Sela-la. From the pass one has a good view of the Pabla range, which does
not make any deep impression on the spectator, on account of there being no high
peaks at all. Between Camps 110 and 111 the rock chiefly consists of quartz-
porphyry and quartz-porphyrite. From the pass the fall is steep down to Camp
110, Lamblung, at 4 895 m. To the N.E. two valleys, Ngochen and Ngochung,
are to be seen. Pongchen-la is a flat pass with a cairn; some manis are built at
its western side.

The second pass is Chapkar-la, 5 326 m high, from where the Chapkar valley
goes down to Ngangtse-tso. The view from its height is so far interesting that to
the N. 74° E. and S. 86° E. several comparatively high snow summits are to be
seen. The rock, down the valley, is limestone. Springs are numerous. As a water-
parting Chapkar-la has a low rank, for both north and south the water goes to the
Ngangtse-tso. South of it several brooks are crossed, going S.W. and probably joining
and entering the lake east of Tagrak-tsangpo; Chakti is the name of one of them.

The Chapkar valley is narrow, but not particularly deep cut. The rocks at
its left side are steep, on the right they have a moderate slope. The height of
Ngangtse-tso is 4 694 m, which indicates the deepest depression on the northern side
of this part of the Transhimalaya. The water of Dangra-yum-tso and Marchar-tso
is said to be as undrinkable as that of Ngangtse-tso. Both Nangtse and Marchar
are surrounded by old beach lines, although not so considerable as those of Dangra-
yum-tso. As the neck of land between them is very low they certainly were
connected not very long ago. The Marchar-tso is very narrow in its middle, and
will, if desiccation goes on, become divided into two halves. Daruk-tso is said to
be a lake some 6 days to the N.E. and as big as Marchar; perhaps simply Chargut-
tso was meant. Nain Sing's Chikut-tso was here known under the name of Tsiku-,
Tsikut- or Tsekun-tso.

The region south of Kyaring-tso is very little known. The Ota-tsangpo, or
Tsangpo-ota as it was called here, is said to run N.W. from a high valley, Muktuk-
chuk, between Sela-la and Khalamba-la. The Ota is therefore an equivalent to the
Tagrak-tsangpo. Between both the Bara-tsangpo goes north to Kyaring-tso.